统治
tǒngzhì · HSK 7
rule
👑 统 unify/command + 治 govern = to rule over and dominate
Both halves mean govern: 统 is to command or unite under one head, 治 is to manage or put in order. Doubled up, they make 统治 tǒngzhì, the firm ruling or domination of a state by those in charge.
治 — water radical 氵 + 台 (phonetic)
治 originally referred to the name of a river, written with the water radical 氵 for meaning and 台 as the phonetic component. From 'managing rivers' (flood control), the meaning broadened to 'govern, regulate, manage,' and later 'cure, heal' — all senses of bringing something unruly under control.